"I honestly don't know how things are going to end up .... When I am ready to get in front of a camera, I want you all to understand why I might look a bit different," she wrote then.

The message sparked speculation about whether Underwood was permanently disfigured.

A photo of Underwood posted by former "Below Deck" star Adrienne Gang in December re-emerged a day after the announcement, adding more fuel to the conversation. Gang had posed for the picture at a gym with the country star, and said Underwood "looked great."